Curious About Casper Mattresses? Now You Can Check Them Out IRL at Target

Just when you thought going to the mattresses had gone to the mattresses, Casper and Target announced they're teaming up to completely own the bed-in-a-box industry.

One of the hottest trends in home goods over the last two years, particularly among millennials, online mattresses now comprise a $15B industry, with top contenders including Casper and Tuft & Needle, Purple, Leesa, and a few dozen more — some say as many as 35 brands vying for dominance. As my husband and our friends have found, however, without brick and mortar mattress stores to test out the product, most consumers are resorting to crowdsourcing reviews and recommendations to make their choice: my husband's recent Facebook post asking for recommendations netted 22 comments; another friend's identical post garnered 30 responses.

Seemingly an answer to that call, Target last week announced that Casper's signature mattress will be on display in 35 stores near college campuses starting June 18th (though you'll still have to order it on Target.com). The retailer will also start selling Casper accessories in more than 1,200 stores; offerings will include Casper's plush sheets and pillows, plus mattress toppers and a small-space-friendly (aka dorm) loungers exclusive to Target. Casper will also be the only mattress brand available for sale on Target.com when the partnership launches.

The Casper loungers and mattress toppers are exclusive to Target.

(Image credit: Casper)

According to Recode and The Street, Target reportedly tried to acquire Casper, but when the deal fell through they settled on a minority stake and a co-branded in-store retail activation.

Over the last two years, Target has also partnered with digital-first brands like Bevel and Harry's in grooming, and Who What Wear in clothing, in an effort to lure young shoppers into its stores. Casper, whose investors include Leonardo DiCaprio, certainly has millennials on lock, utilizing promotions like a traveling Napmobile in 2015 and $99 hotel rooms during this year's SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, TX to grow its brand, plus built-in nap rooms for employees designed by Float Studio at their recently revamped NYC offices.

Edit 5/23: A previous version stated that Casper mattresses would be for sale in 35 Target stores. The mattress will be on display, but you'll still have to order it online.